Grief Poem

Poem For Parent Who Has Lost A Child

I wrote a poem in response to a request from a mother who lost her child. Since then I have decided to share it with any parent out there who has lost a child. May this bring comfort to you

Featured Shared Story

Dearest Beverly - I just went through losing my beloved partner of 13 years, and my dearest girlfriend sent me a poem that really put things as they really are. I had my own notion of grief....

Read complete story

Share your story! (36)

Top 500 Poem 351

Sometimes

Published by Family Friend Poems January 2012 with permission of the Author.

Sometimes I catch a glimpse,
In softened waves of blue,
My child, my heart ...when I see a smile,
I can't help but think of you.

Sometimes these waves fill oceans.
And feelings string on every shore,
A collections of each memory
And every way I wish for more.

Sometimes I watch for answers
Because each day I call to you.
I ask for faith and courage
And strength...to help me through.

Sometimes I ask for bravery
Like dolphins in the deep,
Because time moves oh so slowly,
And sometimes the road is steep.

Sometimes I want to scream.
This was not what I had planned.
Why you ever suffered,
A mom can't understand.

Sometimes I hear your laughter
And remember you at play,
But My Child I always miss you.
Not sometimes, but every day.

visit Colleen Ranney's site

Stories 36
Shares 3310
Favorited 63
Votes 1686
Rating 4.58

Read More Grief Poems

Has this poem touched you? Share your story!

by Felicia Sims
3 years ago

I lost my third child back in 2004. She was born in 2003. She was only 5 months old. Til this day I still cry 'cause I miss her so much. I don’t wanna be sad anymore 'cause I know she's my guardian angel and she's no longer suffering from her sickness.

by Silvia Clark
3 years ago

I, too, feel that pain of losing a son. I've never felt a pain like this before, and I know that I will feel this pain for the rest if my life. My son, Andrew, was 33 years old. He was found in his cell hanging from the top bunk on February 17, 2021. Andrew has had some mental instability going on with him, and when he was arrested months prior, first time ever in trouble, he attempted suicide in that jail. So had they put him on suicide watch in the first place, my son would still be here today. My son was a good man, a very hard-working man. He loved his family as we loved him. He wanted a family, children. The guards and officers gave my son the option available for him to take his life or his life was taken away from him. My son's life will not be in vain, and I will find the truth when this is all over. I know he's been close, right here with me. He plays peekaboo with his niece; it was their game and they played it a certain way. He's here for a reason, to find out the truth.

by Margaret DaSilva
2 years ago

Silvia, I lost a son 14 years ago this month. He died of a drug overdose and had been in jail when he should have been in a psychiatric hospital. I tell you this to let you know that there are many of us out here. Your loss is very fresh. Please know that as time goes by things will change. I remember screaming into a pillow. I don't feel the need to do this anymore. You will always miss him, but the agony of the loss will diminish. One thing that really helped me was going to grief counseling. God bless you. I am sending love to your precious son.

by Heather Wolf
4 years ago

All I can do is read these stories from grieving parents and cry and pray to God that my six-year-old son doesn't go the same way as your precious children. He has been residing with his dad for the last 2 and 1/2 years and has been abused so badly the even the school called CPS twice. We are in family court right now fighting over custody in front of a judge where a mother cannot get a fair shake. I couldn't believe that the judge said he intended to give my son back to his abuser. I'm scared one day his dad will go too far and kill him as in most child abuse cases, and it is unconscionable that the judge would do this. We don't go back to court until the second week of March where the judge said he would give my son back to him. Please pray for my son for his death is preventable.

by Angela B
6 years ago

Memories are all that are left, and how precious they become. I lost my son Ashley at the age of 22 to a terrible illness. In just six weeks he was gone. He was a wonderful young man who was loved by everyone he knew and anyone who just met him. This year marks the fourth anniversary of his death. There are no words to express how I feel, no words to describe my pain, knowing that I won't get to see him again in this life. his beautiful smile remains in my memory, and he will forever be in my heart. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss him. The tears still come flooding, and the pain never goes away. I'll live with it each and every day until I see him again.

by Beverly Frederick
7 years ago

I lost Gary, my beautiful 29 year old son on July 3rd, 2016. He passed after a severe asthma attack that put him into cardiac arrest. I received the call on June 30th, 2016 that he was in the hospital, on life support with no brain activity. As his mother, I had to make the decision to remove life support. It's a decision that haunts me over 1 year later. My mind knows my son was gone, but my heart still refuses to accept that my second child, my baby boy is gone. We had become more than mother & son; we were best friends & talked on the phone almost every day. I lost half my heart that day & I will never stop grieving my youngest son, but I will also never ever stop loving him. I just don't understand why children of any age have to die & mamas have to experience such grief. I will never "be over it," and time doesn't heal the pain. I'm slowly learning to live with my broken heart.

by Trish Morrison
6 years ago

Beverly,
I'm so sorry for your loss. My dad passed away Feb 16, 2004, of the very same thing. He had a bad asthma attack, which caused a heart attack. Then his heart stopped twice (once on the way to the hospital and once at the hospital). Both times when they brought him back he aspirated. Seeing him unresponsive and on the ventilator was so hard for 16-year-old me to deal with. It's been 14 years, and I'm still not over it. Birthdays and holidays are still just as hard as the first year. I hope you find peace. He is watching over you.

by Margitta Saager
6 years ago

Dearest Beverly - I just went through losing my beloved partner of 13 years, and my dearest girlfriend sent me a poem that really put things as they really are. I had my own notion of grief. I thought it was the sad time that followed the death of someone you love and you had to push through it to get to the other side. But I'm learning there is no other side. There is no pushing through, but rather, there is absorption/adjustment/acceptance. And grief is not something you complete but rather you endure. Grief is not a task to finish and move on but an element of yourself. An alteration of your being. A new way of seeing. A new definition of self.
Beverly, I wish you well and that time will allow you to cope with the loss of your son. Maybe at some time in our lives we will understand why things are as they are. I am thinking of you. God bless you and your family. xoxoxo Margitta

by Tara Mitchell
7 years ago

I loss my baby girl, Zyan, age 11, on March 26, 2017. Zyan had just turned 11 on February 16, 2017. Zyan was the light of my life. I live day to day in a dream hoping that one day I will awaken. I miss my baby girl soo much. Each day grows harder and harder without her. I don't understand why she was taken from me. My Zyan touched so many lives. I miss her smile, her laughter, her touch. I miss our conversations. There is a hole in my heart that will never be filled. The pain is so deep, and the tears are like waterfalls. I don't know how to live without her. My precious little girl. People say time heals all wounds, but there is not enough time in the world that will ever allow me to heal from losing my daughter. I love you so much, my Zy!! And I will forever miss you!!

by Lou Forman
7 years ago

I am so sorry for the loss of your precious child! There just are no words to comfort a Mom that is heartbroken! I will be praying for you, that God will give you peace, comfort and understanding! I attended a grief counseling group, which helped tremendously! You are surrounded by ones who are feeling like you! I just wanted to reach out to you and let you know someone prayed for you today! Lou

by Delores
7 years ago

I love your poem. A mother is never prepared for the death of a child. I lost my son on February 14, 2017.
I still cannot believe he is gone. I spoke to him 45 minutes before he committed suicide by jumping from the 12th floor of our apartment building. A brilliant kid, so smart. I have so many questions I may never find the answers to. It has been a very hard 3+ months.

by Wanda Ratliffe
7 years ago

I can't write how I feel. I lost my youngest son two months ago. I want to join him. He took my heart with him. Please pray for me. I can hardly breathe.

by Robbin
6 years ago

Wanda, I will pray for you. Your few words went to my heart!

by Tammy Pierce
7 years ago

Wanda,
I, too, feel exactly like you do! I can't breathe, and I want to join him. I lost my youngest son 3 months ago, 3 days before his 8th birthday. He was struck by a tow truck walking home. And the part I can't handle is that I had dreamed it happened two years prior.

by Dee, Kentucky
7 years ago

Sorry for your loss, Ms. Ratliffe. I just wanted to say that your post caught my attention. It truly saddened me, and I felt obligated to stop in to share a few words of encouragement. Your son is still with you in spirit, and living on is something you must do, for he smiles when you smile, laughs when you laugh, cries when you cry. So breathe and be joyful so his spirit may continue on living through you, and please hurt no more. So dry your eyes and rejoice because your youngest son just walked through heaven's door. God has him now, and he's in good hands, so have no fear. If you could hear your son's voice he'd tell you the same and that your time to join him isn't near, so rest your heart, and I hope my kind words reach you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

by Eileen Beyer
8 years ago

After losing a child your life is never the same; it is different. You will never "get over" losing that child. You will "get through" it and every year is more bearable, but the pain of the loss is never ever totally relieved. If you have lost your only child and you are asked "how many children do you have" it is not wrong to say one. It has been nearly twenty three years since my son Karl passed away and there are still times, especially near his birthday and death day where tears start the month prior to the event. Other times I cry deeply and nothing particular was on my mind. You will learn to recognize which tears are which as the tears from a loss are emotionally deep and very painful.

by Sheila Cox
8 years ago

Sorry for all who is going through the loss of a loved one. I lost my 23 year old son on June 2015 to a head on collision with an 18 wheeler. His buddy feel asleep at the wheel on their way home from a music festival. I will never forget the pain I felt when I got the news. I go through the motions of living each day, but life is changed forever. Life has new meaning to me, I can't even put into words how such a loss feels. God bless all who are going through this journey.

by Tina Haas, California
9 years ago

I lost my 24 year old son and ex husband on July 14th 2015. They were shot to death in their home in Norwalk, CA. My son's 25th birthday is coming up on October 13th, next week, and it is also 3 months exactly since this horrific tragedy hit my family and nothing is the same. I'm not sure it will ever be. There is not a minute of everyday that goes by that I don't miss my son's contagious smile and infectious personality. He brightened up anyone's day when he entered the room smiling even if he was having a bad day you wouldn't know it. I know he is with us in spirit. He was a mama's boy as his brothers stated to everyone to me he was " my sweet boy".
One quote that really resonated with me:

" when a husband loses a wife he is a widower. When a wife loses a husband she is a widow. When a child loses their parents they are called orphans. When a mother or father loses a son or daughter there are no words that is how horrible a loss that is". There are no words!

by Binta Moustapha
8 years ago

True no words, and the guilt never goes away, wishing there was something I had done otherwise.

by Bobbi Durbin
8 years ago

I also lost my sweet son in 2011. He was 28. A beautiful man. I miss him everyday, all day. Thanks to those who can put their broken hearts into words of encouragement for those of us who have no words.

by Keshia, Baltimore
9 years ago

I lost my first born son just before his 18th birthday. He was taken away from us on Independence Day of 2006. Independence Day has never been the same for our family since this tragic day. For any parent who lost a child, the pain feels so unreal.

by Youlanda White
9 years ago

I just had my son's services on May 2, 2015. Christian A Brooks 23 years old. This is my 1st Mother's Day without my baby boy. I'm still sleep walking through the days. My son was so full of life and compassion and his smile could brighten any day. Pray for me as I travel this new world along. Thank you for this poem.

by Nan Messer
10 years ago

I have four children. My youngest two are twins !! Boy, Girl, for me and my family it was a great celebration !! They were born, Thanksgiving Day 1990. I was 35, not planning on more kids at that late date. But, I suppose a much Higher power than myself had different plans. I remarried and we moved to Ga. where my husband worked. My first two older sons, really had rather be back in Alabama. SO...long story short...they, after a while moved back there. The twins were toddlers, 3, when I remarried. They were always the easiest, best little ones that I could have ever had hoped for. Cody was born first, 29 minutes later, Candace came. All through their lives, they were just totally the greatest children, anyone would have hoped for. As they got older, even more awesome they became !! They graduated from high school and went on to the Art Institute of Atlanta !! But tragedy struck us on 8/13/2011. Cody had been given a street bike. He had only had it barely 3 weeks. He was on his way to work, he was an Apple Specialist at a Computer Store. His accident happened not far from our house. A police officer came to the door, my daughter answered the door, she told me he wanted to talk to me. My son had wrecked the motorcycle, he was airlifted to Atlanta. He was in grave condition. She and I got to the hospital, 5 doctors took me into a room, told me all about his many injuries, they didn't even think he would live through that afternoon. He did, but on the 15th they did surgery on his femur bone. Early on the 16th, 1:20 am, his heart started to beat irregular, a doctor came out and told me, and that they didn't think he even had another 30 minutes to live !! THEY WOULD NOT LET ME GO BACK WITH HIM !! When the doctor and nurse came back out...I knew ! He was gone. I stayed in shock the first year !! I think sometimes I still believe that he will come home home just like always. But no, reality hits a lot more and stronger than that first year. I, so hate this journey I have been put on !! But there is no choice. It's a journey that I have no decision in. I must make it !!

by Camilla Bullock
4 years ago

So touched by all your beautiful poems. My name is Camilla Bullock. I have 5 lovely children. On April 15, 2018, my firstborn, Samantha, who was 38 years old was taken away from us in a horrific death. She was stabbed over 50 times in her bedroom. We were told the next day about it. Our lives have never been the same since that day and will never be again. I missed her every hour in every day. We are a very warm and close family. We love celebrating birthdays, going on holidays, and doing everything together as a family, but her death has such a great impact on us that we don't like celebrating anymore. It’s just not the same without our precious Sam, and God knows our aching hearts. My prayers are with everyone who is grieving for their precious loved one. May God continue to give us all the strength and comfort to be here with our family. Blessings!

by Trisha Dodge, British Columbia
10 years ago

It's been 25 years since my precious baby Brandon left this earth. Not a day goes by that I do not think of him. I love this poem, thank you for these words as I well up with tears. I miss him so very much he only was with us for a day and 11 hours, but a mother's grief does not know age. The pain I still feel inside is just as great as it was 25 years ago. Your words are comforting for my being. Thank you for sharing. My blessing goes out to all parents who have lost their baby, child, teen, adult son or daughter.

by Farzana, Andhra Pradesh India
10 years ago

I lost my son Hyder Hussain 23 years old in an accident on his kinetic Honda. His widow is expecting a baby. He lived a married life for only 5 months. May his soul rest in peace. It is very hard to believe that he has passed away.

by Edinburgh
10 years ago

I lost my son Shaun McKeown in a motorcycle accident in April 2012 I think of him every day. The pain in my body will not go away it is a physical pain and this is the first time I have told anyone. I long for him with all my being.

by Angela Toniness, Ore
8 years ago

I know the pain. I lost my 24 yr old first born son a year and 8 mos . The pain is overwhelming Missing my boy!

by Anastasia Bradshaw
10 years ago

Our son Michael Wayne was 44 years old. On October 29, 2010 he got sick with a flu-like bacterial infection...on November 2, 2010 he entered His Mansion over the Hilltop. They did not know what caused it, found nothing even in testing and they called it a "perfect storm". He lives within our hearts to stay. He left with a smile upon his face and I know He was in the Presence of the Lord...one day we will see him again...until then, he lives in our golden memory forever...we shall go on singing...this poem reached deep within my spirit...thank you...<3

by United States
10 years ago

I lost my baby girl. Her name was Addison I was a little over 5 months pregnant I was 16 and before I knew it I was in the hospital and them forcing me into labor to have my beautiful baby girl. I held her thinking what a beauty it was amazing but she was already gone. It kills me everyday that she is not here with me....

by Carol, Taylors Falls
11 years ago

I very recently lost my 20 year old son in a cliff jumping accident on the river we live on..... This poem is helpful as I wander through this maze of emotions and try to deal with losing my wonderful boy.

by Cindy S.
11 years ago

This is a truly a beautiful poem!! I lost my 22 year old boy and he also struggled with addiction. I don't think there's any way to truly convey what this pain feels like. It is just something that is completely debilitating, even 2 years later. The pain is excruciating and sometimes I just can't breath. Honestly I'm not sure what would have happened if I didn't have a 10 year old daughter who obviously needs her mom. I keep wondering if it will get easier, but it doesn't even seem possible. Reading these poems, beautiful as they are, makes me realize that there's so many of us going through the same pain. I'm truly sorry for what you are all going through.

by Kim J.
8 years ago

I am so sorry to read that. I lost my Beautiful son Derek, who was hit by a car on May 24, 2009. I always say that it it wasn't for my Beautiful daughter and Mother, I would not be on this earth. It truly is hard to breath at times and even harder to live.
You all are in my Prayers and thoughts. At least now I know I am not the only one with these thoughts.

by Kim
11 years ago

I too lost my oldest son at age 32 to Hodgkin's Disease which is a blood cancer. He fought hard for 15 months. Had only been married 6 months had a just turned 3 year old daughter a 8 year old step daughter and a 15 year old son. I watched him die slowly for a week and held his hand the night I knew he was going to go. I miss him every day of my life. Two months ago my 15 year old grandson died of a acute asthma attack and this is one thing a mother does not want in common with her daughter.

by Pamela Farr
11 years ago

I lost my son at 32 years of age but of course he is still my baby I miss him terribly. I love this poem.

by Linda, Dumbarton UK
12 years ago

Thank you so much for the lovely poem. I look at the sky every night to see the brightest star. I say it is my dear son Patrick who I lost very suddenly at the age of 27 years. Patrick was such a happy go lucky boy who struggled with drug addiction, Patrick was in rehab and was clean for 8 months and I thought this was it he looked great said he felt great and was happy .One Sunday on the 31st October 2010 I got a knock on the door with two police they asked to speak to me. Never for one second did I think anything was wrong with Patrick. They told me he had died. It's the worst day of my life I cannot get over it. I miss him more than words can say.